r/f1visa

Hi! I know the answer is probably no but I need to ask. I changed from one college to another and then left to go back to my country I asked my new college the following:
My previous advisor let me know that My SEVIS record was transferred from Green River College to Dallas College on June 23, 2026. My F-1 visa is valid until 2030, and I plan to arrive in the U.S. on July 6 before the fall semester. Will I be able to enter the U.S. on that date, and will my transfer I-20 be available before then?

And I got a reply after a few days saying this:
Yes we’ve received your SEVIS record.

I’ve emailed them a few times already and tried calling but the campus is closed for some holiday. So they haven’t responded yet my flight leaves tomorrow and I have a valid f1 visa, my sevis, acceptance letter I am only missing my I-20 form am I still able to enter the country on my student visa? Or will I have to use my tourism visa? I am going earlier then the start of school to be with my partner a little before school starts. Which it starts August 19.

Hi, M(25) here. I'm from India and am headed for my Master's at CMU and just got my passport delivered to me. However, the expiry date of the visa is shown as 15 December 2027 for me which is exactly when my program ends as per my I-20. Everyone else I know had theirs issued for 5 years (i.e. 2031). I wanted to know what exactly this implies.

1. I'm assuming that I'll only be allowed to enter the US till December 2027.

2. Does the visa expiring exactly with the end of my program mean that I won't be able to work on OPT?

3. Would I have to do a process that's different from the 5 year validity people to have the authorisation to work on OPT?

Hello,

I have been looking for F2 visa slots for two months now but to no avail.

I am thinking of applying for B1/B2 visitor visa for my spouse for the time. I am looking for advice if there is a possibility of visitor visa going through. 

Context to show ties in India: My spouse was working for a couple of years in India. After marriage, a couple of months ago, they've joined our own business.

I’m an incoming F-1 student and have a question about how this situation is generally viewed.
I write and record my own original music under a stage name. My plan is:

Release songs only while I’m physically outside the U.S. during academic breaks (e.g., summer or winter break).

Do any active promotion or campaign management only while I’m outside the U.S, but previously managed campaigns would run.

Not perform live shows, offer music services, or actively work on releases while I’m in the U.S.

While I’m in the U.S., the songs would simply remain available on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and they could continue earning royalties if people listen to them.

My questions are:

Would the songs remaining on streaming services and generating royalties while I’m in the U.S. generally be considered passive income, or could that still raise F-1 unauthorized employment concerns?

Does it matter that the release and promotional work were done while I was outside the U.S.?

Has anyone here been in a similar situation or received guidance from their DSO or an immigration attorney?

I know Reddit isn’t a substitute for legal advice, and I’ll ask my international student office as well. I’m just trying to understand how people have seen this handled in practice.

I’m an F-1 student who just finished a CS bachelor’s. My OPT is still pending, and I currently have no interviews or job offers.

I also work offer as masters student starting Fall 2026: about $1500/month GRA, health insurance, and a professor who agreed to be my thesis advisor.

If I start the MS, my bachelor’s OPT ends. Should I keep trying for an OPT job for the next month, or take the funded master’s and try for a Summer 2027 CPT internship instead?

What would you do?

I have payed my non deposit amount to two colleges, I am an Indian applicant however I am unable to get visa slot my last date to join b school is by 25 july, i left my job my rented house and shifted back to hometown i have no idea what to do ahead is there any hope to get visa slots for july? What shall I do?

i forgot to report that i have an account on threads, and my interview is yet to be done. what do i do? is threads necessary?

Hi everyone,

I'm in a very unusual situation, and I'm hoping someone has gone through something similar or has experience with F-1/OPT rules.

I technically graduated in May, and my university issued all the graduation confirmations. However, about a month later, they emailed me saying that after reviewing my records, they found that I had not actually met one of my degree requirements (my major GPA was below the required minimum). Because of that, I have to take one additional summer course to satisfy the graduation requirement.

I had already applied for and started post-completion OPT. I spoke with my DSO, and they told me that because I'm now enrolled in this summer course, I cannot work more than 20 hours per week until I complete it.

Here's where I'm confused:

• I work as a contractor through a staffing company for a client.
• I was working 40 hours/week before this happened.
• Since June 1, I've been on the bench, so I haven't been working or submitting timesheets.
• I'm expected to start a new project next week, which would normally be a standard Monday-Friday, 40-hour schedule.

My questions are:

1. How is the 20-hour limit actually tracked? Is it based on timesheets, payroll, I-9 records, SEVIS, or something else? Does USCIS ever verify actual hours worked?
2. How should I explain this to my employer? Since I was originally hired as a full-time contractor, I'm worried they'll question why I suddenly need to reduce my hours.
3. Has anyone else had their university reverse their graduation status after commencement and require an additional course while already on post-completion OPT? If so, how did your employer handle it?

I'm planning to follow my DSO's instructions, but I'm trying to understand how this works in practice and the best way to approach my employer without creating unnecessary confusion.

Any advice or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

My OPT just got approved my initial start date was July 13 th, and on the approval email it says starting validity date 7/13/2026. However, today is July the 4 th and I believe that I wont get my EAD card before that, and also when I get my EAD card, the start date might be adjusted due to this delay. In this case, what start date should I communicate with my employer, given that I do not want to loose too many unemployement days?

Hello, I know I can legally enter the US until the F1 visa expiry date but in reality is it safe to do so? Like has anyone on this sub done that? My I20 is valid for another year so I'm safe there. Thanks!

Hi everyone, Does anyone know if F-1 students on OPT can work as an unpaid researcher/research assistant at Boston University? If you’ve done this or know someone who has, I’d appreciate any information. Thanks!

Hi! I’m a F1 student visa and got my i20 terminated because I took a term withdrawal. I went to LA and on my way back to NYC, but I was told that my entry into NYC was recorded as my I-20 had already been terminated.

My DSO has now told me that I must leave the US as soon as possible because I was recorded as unlawful presence. However, they warned me that because I remained in the U.S. after my I-20 was terminated, I may have difficulty obtaining a new I-20 and could be denied reentry to the US.

Question:

Would the unlawful presence record affect renewing i20 and re-entering US?

Please help I really need advises for this, thanks a lot!

Hi everyone, I’m an international student who just graduated in May 2026. Due to a family emergency I had to leave the US shortly after graduating. Before leaving, I had applied for my OPT and did my biometrics by applying for premium processing. My EAD card got approved yesterday (July 3).

I have a job offer (volunteer role), but my F1 sticker visa expires on July 20. I don’t know if my EAD card will arrive in time cause my friend will have to ship it to me internationally. I’ve talked to my ISSS advisor and she says I should be able to re-enter if I get an updated I-20 document with OPT status changed to “approved”.

I know I may have to go through secondary questioning and there’s a high chance of denied entry. Is it worth taking the chance to re-enter without EAD card?

hey guys, i’m an F1 student doing my phd. i just got a car yesterday and just learned how to drive this past month. i’m still new to driving and everything and, i know it’s no excuse but i accidentally ran a red light. the light turned yellow, i hesitated and panicked a little, and did not stop once the light turned red and just kept going. i was not pulled over but i am pretty sure there’s a camera at that intersection. what are the consequences of running a red to my SEVIS status? what do i do if i do get a citation? i am in florida if that helps.

thanks.
- a very paranoid student

Hi guys, I recently received an email saying that my f-1 visa got revoked. I have no arrest or criminal records, and I do not have a so-called critical science major. No social media posts critical of the government. I have found more than 10-20 people in the same situation. Our visas got revoked on the exact same date by some of the Embassy/Consulates in China. The only similarity is we are all Chinese. Is anyone facing the same issue here?

For people who have had their F1 visas revoked, were you able to get a new visa/future OPT approval?

my employer is asking me if i can do the first week which is just training without the EAD in hand? is that allowed once I get my approval?

Hello,
I am a 20 year old student from Egypt. I have a GED because I originally planned to continue my education in Egypt. Due to personal circumstances, I had to delay my studies.
I am currently studying online at University of the People, but it’s not the best option . I want to continue my education in the United States and attend a community college because I believe it is a better fit for me academically and offers an easier transfer path to a bachelor’s degree.
I have the financial ability to pay for my education and living expenses. I have a bank account with sufficient funds and I am prepared to provide all the required financial documents.
My main concern is the F-1 student visa interview. I have heard that recently it has become much more difficult for students to get approved.
Based on my situation, what do you think my chances are of getting approved for an F-1 student visa? Are there any concerns in my profile that I should address before applying?

People who got their card produced on 1st july. Is tracking still unavailable? And nothing showed up in informed delivery?

Edit: walked in to USPS AND PICKED IT UPPP!!!!

For those whose Premium Processing (PP) has crossed 30 business days: What did you do? How long did it take for you to get approved? At this point, it feels hopeless, especially because PP is literally the last option to speed up an EAD. Is there any hope, or anything else that can be done?